A Bradley Beal for Jimmy Butler trade between the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat just became more realistic.
The Heat have announced that they have suspended Butler for seven games “for multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team over the course of the season and particularly the last several weeks.” They also stated that they “will listen to (trade) offers.”
This comes after a news conference on Thursday where a dejected Butler said that he probably can’t get his joy back on the court if he remains in Miami:
Not to mention, last week Butler reportedly did not rejoin the team after a stomach illness when the team expected him to.
Since the Suns regressed to 7-16 in their last 23 games, rumors have swirled about a trade for Heat wing/forward Butler.
The rumors have all come back to the Suns needing to trade G/SF Beal, which would mark a swap of two stars with at least one All-NBA appearance on their resumes. Complications arise, however, due to Beal having a no-trade clause in his contract. If Beal is to be traded from the Suns, he would have to waive that no-trade clause.
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, however, sees that as advantageous for Beal. On ESPN’s “First Take” Friday morning, he went into detail about why he thinks the Suns need to trade for Butler and also why he thinks it would benefit Beal to be traded to the Heat.
“If I’m the Phoenix Suns — now we know how talented they are — I’m just going by what the NBA people are saying: Y’all are soft,” Smith said. “The team is considered soft.”
The Suns are now 15-17 on the season, after starting the year 8-1.
“But who are they going to give up to get Jimmy?” asked “First Take” moderator Molly Qerim.
“Give up Bradley Beal,” Smith answered. “Now, he got a no-trade clause and I understand you got to waive it but I’m just saying. Give up Bradley Beal because listen; Bradley Beal in South Beach, you know with his marksmanship. Him and (Tyler) Herro and the crew. You can do some things in the Eastern Conference, you never know. You ain’t trading him to purgatory.”
This year, Beal is averaging 18.2 points per game to Butler’s 17.6. He is also shooting 38.6% from deep compared to 37.5% from Butler.
Smith already believed in a trade between the two sides.
“(Beal) should be very much open to a deal like that,” Smith said. “Because he wouldn’t be a third option. He’d be a top-two option in Miami if Bradley Beal was there and healthy.”
As a top-two option in Washington for 11 years, Beal shot .460/.372/.823 en route to 22.1 points per game.
“If I’m Jimmy Butler, who is considered one of the selfless stars, doesn’t mind sharing the basketball, doesn’t mind not being the focal point offensively,” began Smith, before he started to raise his voice. “You in Phoenix with Devin Booker and KD? With Jimmy Butler in everybody’s face like ‘Yo, what we gonna do?’ Come on now. If you are the Phoenix Suns, you’ve got to do everything you can to get your hands on Jimmy Butler.”
Butler has averaged 12.6 field goal attempts per game in his career (10.5 per game this season), compared to Beal’s 17.3 per game in his career (14.6 per game this season). On defense, Butler has averaged 1.6 steals per game in his NBA career vs. Beal’s 1.1 per game.
“You talk about changing the culture of that (Suns) locker room? That is instantaneous impact,” Smith added. “You do it.”
